Memories of Your Name
by K242
Summary: For one year, she finally has the chance to leave her boring hometown in the country and to live her dream of life in the city of Tatsumi Port Island. For one year, he has to leave the city he's known all his life and live in the quiet country town of Inaba. Neither of them could have foreseen what the future would hold. (A Kimi no Na wa/Your Name AU)
1. Prologue

Taki wakes up, eyes filled with tears. He's not sure why. A dream, perhaps? He can't even remember what he was dreaming about. Instead, he's left with what feels like a gaping hole in his chest. This sort of thing happens every now and again. That sense of loss lingers for a long time after, but he's grown used to it.

"Big bro! Are you awake?" Nanako calls from outside his door.

Taki finishes buttoning up his shirt and nods to himself after a quick onceover in the mirror. "Yeah! Just got done getting ready."

Either way, now's not the time to be feeling down about some forgotten dream. After a year, he's finally back in Inaba to see his friends again. He should be feeling excited, maybe even a little nervous, but he can't shake that inexplicable ache.

* * *

Mitsuha vacantly watches the rustic countryside pass by beyond the tinted limousine windows, her mind swirling with memories. Once again, she had woken up crying without knowing why. No matter how hard she tries, she can never remember what her dreams were about. At first it frustrated her, but in the end she resigned herself to these bouts of melancholy. The landscape vaguely reminds her of Itomori, only further exacerbating her mood.

"Miyamizu. Is everything all right?" Mitsuru asks her. Her voice is the same sharp, steely tone it usually is, but Mitsuha can detect the warmth and concern that lays beneath the surface.

"Oh, Mitsuru. . .I'm fine!" she says as brightly as she can muster. "This area just reminds me of home."

"I see. If there's anything you need, please let me know."

Mitsuha returns to staring out the window. "Thanks."

* * *

When he came back to Inaba for Golden Week, Taki had hoped to relax with his friends.

But of course he would once again be dragged into another mystery involving the TV World and Personas. He certainly hadn't expected to be facing off against his friends in a fight; however, he couldn't deny the fact that he'd always wondered what it would be like to go at each other inside the TV World.

Well, he has his answer.

It's rather exhilarating.

He was closest to Yosuke, probably because the two of them shared so much in common—they were both city boys who had to move to the countryside because of their parents' work. They'd exchanged blows before, on the banks of the Samegawa flood plain. But that was nothing like the current situation.

Yosuke is as quick as ever, maybe even quicker. He's effortlessly running circles around Taki, even without having called on his Persona. Taki takes a few probing strikes at Yosuke, but his blade is easily caught by a kunai each time. Taki feels like it's a feat in and of itself that he's able to force Yosuke to parry the blows rather than completely miss.

Taki is content to force the burden of engagement upon Yosuke. His sword's superior range and his elemental advantage with Personas means that Taki can sit back and react until the perfect situation presents itself. Yosuke knows this, and knows he can't allow Taki to pick his spot.

Yosuke finally makes his move, summoning his Persona to begin. Jiraiya materializes behind him, throwing blades of wind at Taki. Taki is nearly hit by the assault due to his surprise. What happened to Takehaya Suasno-o?

Despite being caught off guard, Taki avoids the barrage, only to have his path cut off by Yosuke. Taki, too, draws on the power within and calls forth his other self.

Izanagi answers, thunderous bolts of lightning crashing down around him. The bolts radiate outwards, then suddenly converge on Yosuke. Yosuke knows he can't outrun lightning, so he tries to dodge the attacks and force the bolts to curve into the ground. Yosuke's fast, but there's a reason fast people are usually nicknamed after lightning. The first few miss, but the next couple find their target, sending Yosuke rocketing into a nearby wall. He'd never been that good with thunder attacks.

It was nice to see some things don't change.

As the dust settles, Taki is ready to chalk it up as his win. But just as he's about to sheathe his blade, a kunai comes flying out of the debris, nicking Taki's cheek. As he touches the injury, surprised, Yosuke charges forth recklessly, having yielded his dual wielding advantage.

Yosuke is betting it all on one last clash. Taki quickly takes a stance and readies his blade. In a blink of an eye, Yosuke is upon him.

The element of surprise bought Yosuke a precious few milliseconds, but he's now not only at a range disadvantage, but he's given up his ability to attack and defend simultaneously. Deep down, he knows he's already lost this fight. But he refuses to lay down and give up.

His resolve is rewarded with a swift blow to the ribs from the back of Taki's blade. Unable to reach Taki with his remaining kunai, Yosuke decides that now is as good a time as any to crumple to the ground on one knee to try and catch the wind that was knocked out of him.

"You got me good, partner!" Yosuke says ruefully, but he can't help grinning. It had been fun, even if he lost. "Figures that you of all people wouldn't be out of practice."

"You're pretty good yourself," Taki reciprocates. "In fact, it feels like you've improved. Though your Persona. . ."

"Oh, That? I'm honestly not sure what that's all about. I don't think I've really changed that much since you left."

"Good. The old Yosuke was a pain in the ass."

"Hey, man! Well, I think Jiraiya looks cooler than Takehaya Susano-o anyways," Yosuke laughs.

As they take the time to catch up, Taki notices that Yosuke isn't looking at him anymore. Instead, he's looking at something, or someone, over Taki's shoulder.

"Hey, who's that? She's kind of cute," Yosuke says.

"Who's who?" Taki turns to take a look.

His breath catches as he locks eyes with a girl.

He knows her.

But. . .

. . .Who is she?


	2. Chapter 1

_"Taki. . .Taki? It's me! . . .Don't you remember?"_

 _The familiar rich blue of the Velvet Room floods Taki's vision. Ending up here in a dream is nothing new, though what is different is that neither Igor nor Margaret are here to speak with him. Instead a familiar-yet-unfamiliar girl about his age, far too human-looking to be a resident of the Velvet Room, looks at him earnestly._

 _He feels like he should know her. But he doesn't. "Sorry. . .have we met?"_

 _Guilt floods his mind as she blushes and looks away in embarrassment. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly walks away, suddenly fading from existence._

 _He's not sure what, but something compels him to reach after her. "Wait! What's your name?"_

 _She turns in one fluid motion, pulling an object from her bag. Her hand barely reaches his outstretched fingertips, and he feels something metallic and slightly cool pass from her hand to his._

 _"My name. . .is Mitsuha!"_

* * *

He wakes up suddenly, almost lunging out of bed. It must be because of that dream he was having. But whatever that dream was, though, he's already forgotten. Slowly, the adrenaline rush and sense of unease from waking up so violently subsides, and Taki begins to take in his surroudings.

He's not in his own room. In Dojima's house, he also has a futon, not a bed. Could he still be dreaming?

When his gaze finally comes to rest on a girl's high school uniform, he hesitantly looks down at himself.

If the two lumps on his chest are anything to go by, he most certainly isn't in his own body, either. Unsure if he's still asleep, he takes a breast in each hand and experimentally squeezes, telling himself in his mind that it's purely to determine whether he's awake or not.

"Huh. . .so realistic feeling. . ." he mutters to himself.

So engrossed in his exploration, he fails to hear the door to the room open.

"Uh, Mitsuha. . . ? What're you doing?" a brown-haired girl in a pink sweater asks him.

He takes one hand off of his chest and points to himself. "Huh? Mitsuha? Me?"

The girl looks at him dubiously. "Are you okay?"

"I guess?" Taki asks back.

"Right. . .I guess I'll wait for you down in the lobby?"

The door clicks shut, leaving him to process what's going on.

* * *

With practiced ease Mitsuha dons her uniform and braids her hair in her usual fashion, tying everything together with a braided cord passed down from her mother. Satisfied with her appearance, she nods once to herself in the mirror before grabbing her belongings and heading out the door.

In the lobby, she finds Yukari, who's punctual as always. "Morning, Yukari."

"Morning! I see you're back to normal today. You were so crazy yesterday!" Yukari teases.

"What do you mean, crazy?"

Before Yukari can answer, the clock in the lobby chimes. "We're gonna be late, we better get going!" Yukari hurriedly pulls Mitsuha out the door.

"Y-you never answered my question!"

* * *

After class, gathered around Mitsuha's desk, she finally gets some answers.

"You. . .don't remember?" Yukari asks in bewilderment. "You forgot where your own desk and locker were yesterday, let alone your own name! You had the worst case of bedhead, you didn't even bother braiding your hair with your ribbon!"

Mitsuha shakes her head rather violently upon imagining what happened, as if she could simply banish yesterday's events like a bad dream. "No way."

"Yeah, it's like you had amnesia or something."

"Now that you mention it, I do feel like I've been having weird dreams lately. . ." Mitsuha muses. "Like a dream about someone else's life. . .? It's all so fuzzy."

"I told you yesterday, Yuka! That Shadow definitely did something weird to Mitsuha!" Junpei insists. "We were talking about SEES and all that stuff, and she had completely forgotten what the Dark Hour was! Maybe the Shadow cast some sort of spell on her!"

"I doubt it," Yukari sighs. "She still remembered about Personas. And we had Mitsuru do a quick scan, she found nothing wrong with Mitsuha. But. . .you really were acting funny yesterday, Mitsuha. Are you feeling okay?"

Junpei vigorously nods in agreement in the background.

Mitsuha pulls her feet onto her chair and draws her knees close to her chest. "That's the weirdest thing. . .I feel fine. Great, in fact."

"Maybe the operation a couple days ago was a bit too stressful?" Yukari hypothesizes.

"We did almost die!" Junpei adds cheerfully.

". . .On that topic, we should go to Tartarus tonight. We could use the training," Mitsuha decides. "I'd rather not have a close call like that again."

* * *

"I'll be joining you guys from now on," Akihiko says excitedly, rolling his newly-healed arm in its socket. He may be their senior, but the way his restless, excitable energy reminds Mitsuha of a child.

"Wait, is your arm better now? Are you sure you're ready?" Mitsuha asks out of concern.

Akihiko looks at her strangely. "We talked about this yesterday with Mitsuru, didn't we?"

Another person, another mystery. Anyways, it does seem that everything is in order. "I must've forgotten," Mitsuha lies.

"Are you okay? Yesterday, Yukari and Junpei did mention that you weren't feeling well yourself."

"I'm better now," Mitsuha says. "Shall we get started?"

"I've been waiting for this!"

* * *

While training and exploring Tartarus was productive, Mitsuha found it difficult for her to focus. Whenever she tried to concentrate, her mind would always wander back to today's strange events—how it seemed that she had lived a whole day, but has no recollection whatsoever.

As SEES walks back to the dorm, Mitsuha lags behind the rest of the group, vacantly staring of into the distance as she follows. Lost in thought, Mitsuha doesn't notice that Yukari and Junpei had slowed down to wait for her.

"I'm sure this isn't what you imagined life would be like in the city," Yukari jokes. "But otherwise, how are you finding everything?"

"It's everything I imagined," Mitsuha gushes. "I always dreamed of getting out of my hometown in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to go to Tokyo, but Tatsumi Port Island is pretty nice. I'm jealous of you two. Once the school year is over, I have to go back."

"Hey, you could always move here for good," Junpei says, as if it's the simplest thing in the world.

Mitsuha entertains the thought, but remembering her little sister and grandmother waiting for her back in Itomori immediately extinguishes any hope. ". . .I can't. I have family that need me. Maybe in another life," she sighs. Feeling her frustrations bubble over, Mitsuha picks up her pace. "In my next life, I hope I'm born as a handsome boy in a big city."

"We can't all be me."

"Shut up, Junpei."


	3. Chapter 2

The shrill sound of an alarm rouses Mitsuha from slumber. She swings her legs to get out of bed, only to painfully slam her heels right onto the floor.

"Ah—!" Mitsuha begins to exclaim in pain and annoyance, but quickly silences herself with a hand to her throat when she realizes her voice sounds wrong. She can feel a subtle lump that she's certain was never there before.

She looks down at herself, frantically patting at her chest, the familiar soft swells instead replaced with a flat, alien surface.

She shifts slightly, suddenly becoming hyperaware of what's between her legs.

"S-something's there. . ." she murmurs in apprehension, one hand slowly reaching down.

The moment her hand touches that something, she recoils in shock and horror, letting out perhaps the shrillest shriek of her life despite it being with a voice far deeper than her own.

* * *

Mitsuha stares at herself in the mirror. Or rather, the boy whose body she's in. One of his cheeks is bandaged, which she gingerly touches. She immediately winces at the contact with the tender flesh.

"Big Bro? Are you there?" a young girl calls out.

Mitsuha follows the sound of the voice downstairs, where she finds an elementary school girl eating breakfast.

"Big Bro, I'm going to go to school, okay? Make sure to clean up once you're done eating. And remember to go to school, even if you're late!" the young girl says as she dons her backpack.

"Uh, right. . ."

Once the front door swings shut and she's alone again, Mitsuha returns to the bedroom she woke up in. The beeping from a cellphone notifies her of a text message.

Yosuke: Partner, didn't see you on the way to school. You coming? Better hurry, or you'll be late!

"Yosuke. . . ? Who's that?" Mitsuha racks her brain but comes up empty. Either way, she might as well get ready for school. As she grabs the uniform hanging on the wall, she falters.

". . .I have to pee."

* * *

One nerve-wracking and embarrassing trip to the bathroom later, Mitsuha rushes out the front door. The moment she steps outside, she feels her heart stop.

The omnipresent greenery. The small, almost claustrophobic streets. The squat little houses, reminiscent of traditional Japanese architecture. The familiar, earthy smell.

"Is this. . .no, it can't be. . . ! Am I back in the country again?"

* * *

Mitsuha is most definitely late for school, but she hardly cares. It was easy enough to figure out where the school was, but she was in no rush to get there. The despondency of being seemingly trapped in the boonies saps her energy, and she only arrives at the school at lunchtime.

The next problem: figuring out what classroom she's in. Thankfully, that question is answered when an energetic brown-haired boy wraps and arm around Mitsuha's shoulders.

"Hey, Partner! Finally made it to school, huh? You sure took your sweet time. Come on, Chie and Yukiko are waiting." The boy guides Mitsuha away from the classroom, presumably to where this Chie and Yukiko are.

"You must be Yosuke," Mitsuha says, mostly for her own benefit.

"Uh, yeah?" Yosuke shoots back.

Realizing how strange that must sound, Mitsuha flushes crimson. She just can't catch a break.

* * *

On the rooftop, Mitsuha sits in a circle with the other three, weathering a barrage of questions.

"You sure you're okay?" Chie asks her. "How'd you forget your way to school? You lived your whole life in Tokyo, it has to be infinitely harder to get around there than it is here!"

"Perhaps he's not feeling well," Yukiko demurely says. "Yesterday was. . .quite eventful."

"The other side sure is something else, isn't it?" Yosuke asks rhetorically. "I'm still a bit sore from the beating your Shadow gave us, Yukiko."

". . .I apologize that you had to see something so unsightly."

Shadows, Mitsuha recognizes. But what is this 'other side?' Mitsuha has a sneaking suspicion about what these other kids are going through. "Uh, what are you guys talking about?"

"Don't tell me you forgot everything, Taki?! Did Yukiko's Shadow do something weird to your head?" Chie asks, half joking and half serious.

"Wait, Yukiko has a Shadow?" In Mitsuha's experience, she'd never encountered a person with a Shadow—only the regular monsters that roamed Tartarus, and the two Full Moon Shadows. But never a person.

"'Had,'" Yosuke corrects her. "Maybe there is something wrong with you. We could go to the TV World and check it out, try a healing spell or two."

"TV World. . . ?"

* * *

Inside Junes, a supermarket chain Mitsuha has never seen (thanks to Itomori being so far from 'civilization' and the Kirijo Group's stranglehold on everything on Tatsumi Port Island), she finds herself face to face with a massive television.

"Here we are," Yosuke almost says proudly. "Come on, let's go!"

Mitsuha peers around the backside of the television, unsure of what to do. "Uh, does this need to be on or something?"

Yosuke takes her hand. "Man, what's up with you today? Well, we'll find out if you're okay soon enough."

Unexpectedly, Yosuke steps forward and into the television, passing straight through the screen in a ripple of static. More shockingly, her own hand sinks in as well, and Yosuke's pull sends Mitsuha tumbling through the screen.

After a brief descent through pitch-black nothingness, Mitsuha lands in a painful heap in the middle of a surprisingly large area. She only goes as far as righting herself before staring at her surrounding in wonder. The color yellow is almost blinding, if it weren't for a very faint fog. The immediate area features what look like spotlights and catwalks, giving the whole place the look of a television set.

"Hey, Teddie! Where is that damn bear?" Yosuke shouts.

"No need to shout!" A squeaky bouncing sound draws Mitsuha's attention to someone behind her. She's taken aback when she comes face to face with some sort of bear mascot thing.

"Did that costume just talk?" Mitsuha points at Teddie in horror.

"Sensei!" the bear whines, hurt. "You know I'm a bear! Not a Shadow, and definitely not a costume!"

Mitsuha scratches her head, bemused. "Right. . .sorry."

"Anyways, could you scan Taki?" Chie requests. "He's been kind of weird, we're worried something happened to him yesterday."

After a short moment of concentration, Teddie shakes his head. "Nope, nothing wrong!"

"Well, that's weird. . .you feeling up to do some exploring, Partner? Chie and I were thinking Yukiko could use the chance to get used to her Persona," Yosuke suggests.

Just as she'd predicted, this group of high schoolers also had Personas. In another person's body, however, she wonders what Persona Taki has. And would she summon her own instead? That would bring up way too many questions. And what if that mysterious Persona that burst out of Orpheus appears again?

"I think I'll be fine," Mitsuha agrees. "I think I'll try to avoid using my Persona today, just to be safe."

Chie offers her the handle of a sword. "Sounds good to me! More practice for me and Yukiko!"

Mitsuha uncertainly takes the proffered blade. Well, it'll be like using a naginata, just shorter, right? She did pick that up pretty quickly, maybe this won't be too bad.

* * *

Mitsuha nervously adjusts her grip on the sword, the weight of a weapon in just one hand unfamiliar to her. Coupled with the self-imposed restriction on summoning Personas, and she's been having a rough time.

"Partner, you're up!" Yosuke calls after knocking down a Shadow. "Finish it!"

He just had to pass the baton to her, didn't he? She runs forward and, wielding the blade with both hands, delivers an overhand strike that's more momentum and weight than skill. Thankfully, it's enough to cause the downed Shadow to dissipate into black mist, concluding the skirmish.

Yosuke watches her with a critical eye. "That was, uh, an interesting technique. You're usually more, what's the word. . .graceful? Yeah, graceful. I was surprised how well you wielded a sword at first."

"I guess I'm feeling a bit under the weather?" Mitsuha lies. "Yesterday sure was rough. . .I guess."

". . .Yeah, guess so," Yosuke hesitantly agrees.

"If you aren't feeling the sword, I could totally teach you some kung fu moves!" Chie offers.

Yukiko sniggers, the action contrasting with her usual ladylike demeanor. "Didn't you teach yourself by watching some kung fu movies? Maybe you could just lend him your DVDs."

Chie doesn't catch Yukiko's joking tone, taking it as an actual suggestion. "Hey, that's not a bad idea, Yukiko! And I'm sure Taki would actually take care of someone else's stuff with respect," she adds with a venomous glare aimed at Yosuke.

Yosuke winces, hands instinctively moving to cover his crotch. "Look, I said I was sorry! Can't you just let it go?!"

Mitsuha smiles to herself. They aren't SEES, but they sure act the same.

"So, think you have a feel for things now?" Yosuke asks Yukiko.

"I think so. So, you said I appeared on the Midnight Channel before I disappeared?"

Yosuke nods. "That's right. And after what happened to that announcer lady and Saki, we're sure there's a pattern."

"And so the next time somebody shows up, we'll be here to save them like you saved me," Yukiko logically concludes.

"That's right," Chie confirms. "If you need anything, just ask our leader, okay?" she says as she points to Mitsuha.

Well, at least that's kind of convenient. Mitsuha's experience in SEES will hopefully translate to leading this ragtag group. "So. . .I guess we'll call it a day, then?" Mitsuha decides with her newfound status. Mainly for her own benefit, as she feels her arm becoming more and more like a limp noodle with each swing of the sword.

Yosuke looks at her, still uncertain. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. We'll go a bit further when you're feeling more yourself."

* * *

Mitsuha hasn't felt this exhausted in a long time. Not after the fight with the Priestess, or even when she first evoked her Persona on the roof of the dorm. Even just rolling out the futon in the bedroom was a struggle. She made enough a of a ruckus that the young girl that called her 'Big Bro' had come by to investigate.

She had eventually laid everything out and gratefully collapsed onto the futon, ready to finally get some rest. It had been one hectic day, trying to figure everything out, not to mention having to learn how to fight with a sword on the fly. The familiarity of the futon is especially comforting, after a few weeks of sleeping in a bed it's enough to make her nostalgic for home. A little.

Scrolling through Taki's phone, Mitsuha stumbles upon a journal or diary of some sort. Every day, without fail, Taki had faithfully recorded the events of each day. Some days were shorter than others, but after a quick read Mitsuha feels as though she understands him. She can certainly sympathize, as a fellow transfer student suddenly thrust into some grand supernatural scheme.

On a whim, she opens a new entry for today and begins typing, describing as much of the day in as much detail as she can muster. Once done, she closes the application and lets the phone fall to the soft blanket, satisfied with herself.

As she lays there, trying to avoid laying on her sore arm too much, Mitsuha remembers that question in her notebook.

 _Who are you?_

Spurred by a sudden idea, she sits back up and retrieves a pen from the desk. It's a bit difficult since she's using her nondominant hand, but she manages to write her name legibly enough on her other hand.

"What a strange dream. . ." she sighs, before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

_Mitsuha_

"What is this. . . ?"

Taki stares at the shaky name written on his hand. Mitsuha? Who's that? And why's her name on his hand? His right hand, for that matter—speaking of, he doesn't remember his right arm being this sore after finishing up with Yukiko's Castle. He can hardly muster any strength when forming a fist.

Only after a few moments of opening and closing his hand and rotating his arm in its socket does he notice that he apparently went to bed in his school uniform.

"What. . . ?"

* * *

"What?!"

Over breakfast, Taki stares at his phone as he reads and rereads a diary entry he has no recollection writing. Went to the TV World yesterday to do some training and help Yukiko learn? By his count, that should be the plan for today—just yesterday, they had defeated her Shadow.

"What is going on?!"

* * *

At lunch, however, the rest of the Investigation Team looks at him strangely when he mentions taking Yukiko into the TV World for the first time later today.

"You remember how to get to the TV World now, huh?" Chie asks lightheartedly.

Yosuke joins in with a grin. "Forget that, at least he remembered how to get to school today!"

"What are you two talking about?" Taki asks a bit aggressively. "Wait, did one of you mess with my phone?" Before either Chie or Yosuke can answer, Taki decides it might be better to just drop the subject. "You know what—never mind. Let's meet up at Junes after school today. I've got a few things to do before then."

Taki hastily packs up his belongings and leaves.

"I don't know Taki too well, but he certainly was acting strange yesterday, wasn't he?" Yukiko wonders. "But it looks like he's back to normal."

"I think he was kind of. . .cute, yesterday," Yosuke says with a blush.

Chie gapes at him, unsure of how to even respond.

* * *

Mitsuha stares at her hand. And her forearm. In hastily scrawled handwriting is a series of questions she mostly certainly didn't write on herself.

 _Mitsuha? Who are you? What are you?_

So whoever wrote this is asking who she is—understandable, to a degree. But what's with that third question? 'What are you?' Is it asking if she's a thing, or is her questioner starting to get philosophical?

On cue, there's a short knock at her bedroom dorm before it swings open, hinges slightly protesting.

"Well, at least you aren't, uh. . ." Yukari stammers as she struggles to find her words. ". . .feeling your own boobs today," she finally finishes, her voice getting smaller and smaller. "Anyways, you better get ready soon, or we'll be late."

The door closes, leaving Mitsuha with her jumbled thoughts, a series of questions written in marker, and the implications of Yukari's words.

Mitsuha wraps her arms around herself, as if to protect herself from unwanted gropers, or even her own hands.

"M-my boobs?!"

* * *

"Morning," Mitsuha mumbles as she makes her way into the classroom.

At the sound of her voice, all chatter in the room ceases and Mitsuha can feel all eyes on her. She slowly makes her way to her desk, where Yukari is already waiting.

"I feel like everyone's staring at me for some reason. . ."

The corner of Yukari's mouth quirks upwards. "Well, you did kind of make a scene yesterday."

"Wha. . . ?"

* * *

 _Mitsuha and Saori sit at the desk in the library together, but it's clearly obvious that the few students using the library are avoiding Saori. It's obvious enough that even Saori notices, and the ostracization makes her feel uncomfortable._

 _She looks down at the desk, slightly hunched over as if to make herself smaller. ". . .Hey, Mitsuha? Would it be okay if I asked you to take care of the counter yourself? There aren't many people here today. . . .And. . .it seems like nobody wants me checking their books out anyway, so. . .I'll go put the book returns back on the shelves."_

 _Just behind the shelves within earshot, both girls can hear a group of boys gossiping and staring._

 _"Is she the one that was in the magazine. . . ?"_

 _"You hung out with her? . . .Seriously?"_

 _"She'll do anything if you ask. It's like she can't say no."_

 _Mitsuha rockets out of her seat, fists clenched and blood pumping. "I'm going to punch them."_

 _Saori grabs Mitsuha to stop her. "N-no, don't. It's not going to change anything. I was a fool. . .thanks. I'm really happy that you're willing to stand up for someone like me. . . .Everything about that article is a lie. . .all those things about having sex and seducing boys and acting superior. . .I don't care how other people see me. . . .But I want you to know that."_

 _The tension leaves Mitsuha's body and she lets herself relax. She turns back to Saori. "I believe you."_

 _Saori smiles weakly. "Thank you. . .as long as you understand, I don't need anything else. . . ."_

 _No. This isn't right. None of this is fair. Just because Saori was two years older than everybody else in her class, she was shunned and excluded. Saori is kind, if a bit formal, and is undeserving of the bullying and slander. But nobody else knows the truth._

 _The truth. . .that's it!_

 _Mitsuha grabs Saori by the hand and drags her out of the library._

 _"W-wait! Where are we going?" Saori frets even as she lets herself get swept up in Mitsuha's pace._

 _"To tell the truth!"_

* * *

"I. . .I. . .I did what. . . ?" Mitsuha's grip on her chopsticks goes slack, and the egg held between them flops back into her bento box.

"Yeah, you took Saori and stormed the broadcast room! And when the teachers tried to stop her, you almost picked a fight with Mr. Ekoda! Man, what I'd pay to see the look on his face then!" Junpei raves.

"I'm glad everything about her got cleared up," Yukari admits. "I wish I were as brave as you were, Mitsuha. You've been doing an excellent job leading us with SEES, but I never imagined you'd do something like that outside of the Dark Hour."

"Yeah, uh. . .me neither," Mitsuha nervously laughs.

* * *

The minute Mitsuha returns to the dorm, she makes a beeline for the stairs and her room, completely ignoring Mitsuru and Ikutsuki in the lobby. In the relative safety of her room, she flips through her notebook, her own relatively neat handwriting interrupted by a boy's messy scrawl. She settles on a page where her family and friends are listed and described, as well as a rather decent drawing of a torii gate.

"Huh?! Could this. . .could this mean. . . ?"

Taki rapidly swipes through the diary entries on his phone, noticing a pattern of his own entries alternating with entries he knows he didn't write—what's with all of the heart emojis, anyways?

"No, no, no, no! Could this mean. . .that we're really. . .?"

Mitsuha stares intently at those unfamiliar notes in her notebook, shock draining the color from her face as she slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together. It seems impossible, but after everything that's happened during her short time in Iwatodai she can't dismiss any possibility.

"That we're. . .in our dreams, that guy and I. . . !"

* * *

Taki can feel himself break out into a cold sweat as everything clicks into place. He didn't feel this way when he suddenly learned he would have to leave his home behind for a year, or even when he ended up inside a TV and had to fight for his life against monsters. Despite such a fantastical experience, his mind still struggles to wrap itself around his realization.

"That we're. . .in our dreams, that girl and I. . .!"

* * *

". . .We're switching places?!"

* * *

Mitsuha's finally realized what's going on. This Taki is in high school, living in some town called in Inaba. He's also a transfer student, who's had to leave his home of Tokyo because of his dad's work. She can't help but feel like there might be someone out there with a sense of humor listening in on her, and they decided to throw her a bone in regards to her offhand comment to Junpei.

Most importantly, however, is the fact that they both seem to have gotten caught up in their own predicaments revolving around Personas and Shadows. In Taki's case, it seems after a pair of bizarre murders he found his way into the TV World, where he and the rest of the Investigation Team use their Personas to save others who end up there. And on rainy nights, by watching a turned off TV at midnight, it's possible to see who the next victim will be.

Any memories of the switches get more and more hazy after she wakes up, yet the strange reactions of the people around her only confirm her hypothesis. So, in order to protect each other's way of life, she and Taki established some ground rules for each other. Things to watch out for, and a list of stuff they should never do.

Mitsuha sighs, yet again, as she reads another entry from Taki. "And yet. . ."

* * *

Taki's begun to recognize a vague pattern to these switches he's experiencing. Maybe two or three times a week, he and Mitsuha will randomly switch places. It always occurs after they fall asleep, but otherwise, the cause is unknown. Mitsuha is originally from some place called Itomori, somewhere out in the boonies, but somehow finagled her way into an exchange program of some sort at Tatsumi Port Island. It's either quite a coincidence or some cosmic joke that the two of them, who moved from the city to the country and vice versa, are switching places and ending up back in familiar environments.

Perhaps the most interesting coincidence is that just like him, Mitsuha is a Persona user—a Wild Card, in fact. Over in Tatsumi Port Island, she and SEES experience what's called the Dark Hour, a 25th hour that occurs when midnight strikes. He's yet to experience it in Inaba, so he imagines that the effect might be constrained to Iwatodai. During this time, Mitsuha and SEES explore the massive tower known as Tartarus, while exterminating larger Shadows when the moon is full.

In addition to the rules he and Mitsuha established, they also agreed to leave reports on their phones on the days they switch, so that they can work together to get through this weird thing that's happening.

Taki furrows his brow in consternation as he reads Mitsuha's latest diary entry. "And yet. . ."

* * *

"I cannot believe this guy!"

"I cannot believe this girl!"


	5. Chapter 4

Apparently on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays Mitsuha has practice with the volleyball club. Not exactly his sport of choice (Taki would've preferred basketball), but he figures it'd be kind of nice to learn a new sport. After class, he heads down to the gym and quickly changes into some gym clothes.

It seems that there had been a bit of a fight among the club members. And "among" apparently means everyone else against Rio. The other girls came to practice but hardly cared, while Rio put her all into creating a training regimen in the hopes that maybe their team could compete. But instead, the other members grew disillusioned and ended up ditching practice for a group date. And Rio, of course, got upset. And then the other team members got upset. And left.

So Taki finds himself practicing volleyball with Rio in an empty gym. As he sets himself to return Rio's serve, he can feel someone's gaze boring through him.

"That's it, always keep your knees in mind," Rio coaches him. Before she can serve the ball again, she notices someone at the gym door. "Kenji. . .what do you want?"

Taki vaguely recognizes the boy from Mitsuha's class, but he could care less what he wants with Rio. Rather than stand around and wait for them to finish talking, he takes the opportunity to run a lap or two around the gym. Once he sees Kenji leave, he returns to Rio's side.

"Oh, sorry. . .I ended up loafing around," she apologizes.

"It's nothing. You get along with him?"

Rio frowns. "I guess. . .we're childhood friends. I've known him since preschool. . .he's like a younger brother to me," she says before adding defensively, "That's all."

Rio takes a few steps away to start the training exercise again, but pauses. "Sorry, it isn't much of a practice with just two people," she mumbles.

"They'll come back. Maybe," Taki says.

Judging by Rio's reaction, maybe he should've left out the 'maybe.' "It's like. . .I don't want to pretend nothing happened, and I'm not going to say this is my fault. . . .I know that I need to be more mature about this, but. . ." Rio trails off.

"Forget about it," Taki assures her. "It's not their business. They shouldn't have joined the club if they weren't going to commit to the team."

"Yeah," Rio agrees, but she still seems vexed. "Do you have someone you like?"

"Nope."

"I-is that so. . ." Rio seems a bit relieved by that answer. "Anyways, let's get back to practice. Oh, by the way. . .I almost smacked him for saying something, but are you not wearing a bra today. . . ? Kenji, uh. . .couldn't help but notice."

"Oh, that? Whatever," Taki brushes it off.

* * *

A few days later, Taki opens up his phone to check on Mitsuha's latest report.

 _What's wrong with you?! You aren't wearing a bra?! These things are basics for a girl! Guys will stare! Is that why is Kenji telling a bunch of his friends that the girls' volleyball practice is pretty nice to watch while glancing in my direction?!_

Ah, crap.

He really did mess up, didn't he?


	6. Chapter 5

"Taki, I'm gonna head down by the river for a training session today. My offer still stands, you know!" Chie says hopefully.

Mitsuha considers the offer carefully. She doesn't think she'll ever need to learn something like kung fu, but then again, she never thought she'd need to learn how to wield a naginata on the fly. Besides, the skill might come in handy, both against Shadows and in the real world.

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

"All right!" Chie cries, her voice carrying clearly across the open floodplain. "Today's the day!"

Just as they begin to get into some warmup exercises, Mitsuha spies Nanako walking along the riverbank.

"What are you doing?" the young girl asks inquisitively.

"Oh, Nanako!" Chie greets her. "We're training, of course!"

"Training. . .who are you fighting with, Chie?" Nanako asks innocently.

The question, however, catches Mitsuha and Chie off guard. They both scramble to find an answer, as telling Nanako they're preparing to fight monsters inside a TV isn't exactly on the table.

"Hmmm. . ." Chie hums, mind racing. "Myself. . .I guess. . . ?"

Nanako lights up, somehow inspired by Chie's introspection. "Wow, cool!"

"Y-you think?" Chie laughs uncertainly.

Nanako peers around Chie, focused on something behind her, and forgets about the current topic. ". . .Oh. a grasshopper!"

Chie jumps up, shoulders hunched in apprehension. "Huh?! N-no way! Where?!"

"It just landed on your back," Nanako says simply.

Chie shrieks. "Get it off! Get it off me!"

To Mitsuha's surprise, Nanako calmly obliges. ". . .You don't like grasshoppers?"

"I'm no good with anything with thin, jointed legs! Or anything creepy or squirmy! Now I can't get 'em out of my head! I can't stand t hose things!"

"But they're cute. . ."

"You're like Yukiko," Chie notes. "Oh, see, 'cause Yukiko's fine around bugs. But me, I totally lose it. . .kind of funny, huh?"

"I completely understand you," Mitsuha sympathizes. "They're just. . .gross. The way they move freaks me out."

Chie brightens, having found an unlikely ally. "Right?! And they always end up where you don't want them!"

Mitsuha shudders. "Don't remind me. . ."

"You guys would get along with a lot kids in my class. They don't like bugs, either. Don't worry!" Nanako says in an attempt to console the two.

Chie actually does take heart from this. "Oh, you don't know how happy that makes me. Thanks! Come on, you want to train too?"

Nanako jumps at the opportunity. "Okay!"

Chie begins by showing them both some basic forms. Can't exactly get started with flying kicks and back flips, after all. Before it gets dark, Mitsuha sends Nanako home while staying back with Chie.

"I'm gonna get over my fear of bugs," Chie resolves. "I don't wanna look like a sissy next to Nanako! N-no offense, of course, Taki!" she quickly amends.

Mitsuha remembers that she's actually a boy right now, but that won't change her opinion of bugs. "None taken. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes—I don't think bugs will ever do it for me."

"I feel you. But I want to get stronger and face my fears!" Chie says passionately, fists clenched. "All I have to do is think of them as Shadows! Then I'll be able to grab a whole fistful!"

Silence reigns as the two visualize that image.

"I-I just gave myself goosebumps," Chie mutters.

"If you do that, make sure I'm not there," Mitsuha requests. "That's just. . ." she trails off, shivering.

"Getting used to bugs might take a while," Chie concedes, "but I won't lose to Shadows!"

Mitsuha can feel Chie's fighting spirit rubbing off on her, and she feels more determined to get to the bottom of Tartarus. And the TV World. And her switches with Taki.

Her plate really is quite full.


	7. Chapter 6

Taki quickly takes Yosuke up on his offer to sample the famous steak croquettes of Inaba. Back in Tokyo, he and his friends would often spend their afternoons visiting various establishments around the city, playing at being critics. It's a nice callback to a familiar pastime, and the chance to eat some meat is always welcome.

The two of them seat themselves on some crates in front of the croquette stand and quickly dig in. The batter is crispy and light, and though the meat is a bit tough the flavor is quite nice.

"Sticking chunks of steak in croquettes. . .man, this really is the country, huh?" Yosuke asks rhetorically. "Well, it is good. . .though it's tough. Chie called this stuff 'tender and juicy'. . .what kind of teeth does she have. . . ?"

"Forget her teeth, man. You need to watch out for her kicks," Taki jests.

"I swear, she cuts it just a little bit close sometimes when we're fighting Shadows," Yosuke chuckles. "Not a bad way to work on my reflexes, I guess."

During a lull in the conversation, the two overhear the gossiping of two women walking past.

"He's from Junes. . .Yasogami High School, right?"

"His classmate. . .Sat. . .? Went out of business. . ."

"This shopping district could disappear, and yet. . ."

As the women walk away, Taki can feel their venomous gazes bore holes straight through Yosuke.

"Sorry about that," Yosuke apologizes for some reason. "You know me, I'm infamous around here."

Taki feels a surge of camaraderie for Yosuke and an urge to defend him. "No, it's not fair to you. I'm going to—"

As he moves to go confront the women, Yosuke halts him by grabbing his arm.

"Don't bother, okay? Though I really appreciate that you're willing to stand up for me like that. . ." Yosuke says with a grateful smile. "It's mainly my parents, anyways. I'm not personally involved. There's nothing I can do about it." Yosuke shrugs. "I don't think there's anyone in Inaba who doesn't know me, at school or around town. . .not that I mind, but. . .it sucks that I always gotta mind my manners."

"I feel you. Especially having moved from the city to the country? Everyone knows each other here, it's kind of scary. Really have to watch yourself out here. Back in Tokyo, everyone was just a random stranger. Though that doesn't mean I went out of my way to be rude or anything. Just didn't have to try and put on a fake face for everyone," Taki reminisces.

"Right?! Seems like everyone's on a first name basis out here. Pretty rough if you're not from the area." Yosuke punctuates his agreement by voraciously gulping down the last of his croquette. "Still, this croquette is damn good, huh? I'm gonna have another. You want one too, right?"

"Well, since it's your treat. . ."

". . .Next time's on you."


	8. Chapter 7

After class with no particular obligations, Mitsuha finds herself wandering around the Iwatodai strip mall with Junpei, looking for something to do. Or, more likely, to eat.

As if on cue, Junpei pipes up. "Hey, let's get something to eat. Ramen or a meal. . .maybe a beef bowl. . .oh wait, what about takoyaki. . . ?" he wonders aloud, before considering the fact he has a companion. "Oh! Uh, what do you want to eat?"

Rich broth and hot noodles immediately comes to mind for Mitsuha. "Ramen!"

Junpei looks enthused. "Ooh, you're up for it, too? Okay, let's go!" Before they get going, however, Junpei is distracted by a middle-aged man standing off to the side. Or rather, staggering. And yelling. ". . .Whoa, what the hell? That dude's completely wasted. . .it's broad daylight, man. . ." he grumbles in disgust.

"Let's avoid him," Mitsuha says.

Junpei grimaces. "Yeah. I don't wanna have to deal with somebody like that, either. I mean, if he gets hit by a car or something, it's his own damn fault."

Unfortunately, the drunk notices the two of them looking at him and stumbles over.

"Wha'chu lookin' at. . . ?" he slurs, barely able to form his words.

"Whaddya want?" Junpei asks dismissively and combatively. "Get outta here."

"Junpei, let's just go," Mitsuha urges him.

". . .Yeah, you're right."

* * *

As they sit across from each other at Hagakure Ramen (having ordered two specials, as has become tradition between them), Junpei's once bright mood has fouled ever since encountering the drunk man.

Apparently aware of his own attitude, Junpei sighs. "Sorry. I. . .don't like seeing drunks like that. Well, I doubt that anyone actually likes seeing people like that," he laughs dejectedly. "You. . .you only have your dad, right?"

"Yeah. My mom passed away when I was young."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Knowing you, you must've had good parents."

"From what little I can remember from back then, things were great. But ever since she died, things got a lot worse," Mitsuha remembers. "My dad. . .we're not exactly on speaking terms anymore."

"My dad. . .he's not great, either. He was always drinking. He'd just sit there and drink, all by himself. And every time he did, he'd get violent over the stupidest stuff."

"It must've been hard," Mitsuha sympathizes. "My father never got physical. He just kind of left me and my little sister behind. I'm just a convenient political tool when he needs to do some grandstanding."

"I don't know what's worse—you know what? They're both equally awful. Well for me, at least now, it doesn't hurt like when I was a kid. He's lost what strength he had, and I didn't even notice it. . ." Junpei trails off. "Anyways. . .sorry for bringing that up. I must really be boring you."

"Not at all. I'm glad you opened up to me, Junpei," Mitsuha says gently. "I. . .I think I can at least partially understand what you've had to go through."

"Thanks. Well, c'mon! Let's talk about something fun!" he laughs, his dreary disposition quickly vanishing. "Crap! Gotta finish these noodles before they get soggy! Let's shut up and eat!"

They had been so engrossed in their talk that neither of them had noticed the two large bowls of noodles that had appeared in front of them.

Without a word, Mitsuha also hurriedly tucks in to her still warm meal.


End file.
